Archive for April, 2016

Introducing a new pet to existing pets should be done with great care. It is a bad idea to simply throw an animal into the mix. Animals need time to adjust to new smells of a new place and animals surrounding them. This information is based on introducing cats to your home, but dogs should be introduced with caution as well. Animals get to know one another through scent. This how to is based on keeping the new pet confined to a room for a couple of days.

Put the new pet into a room that is secluded where it can feel safe for the first couple of days. While in this space the pet can gather confidence and smell new smells of other animals in the home from under the door.

Cats need several days confined into their own room. A dog may only take a day or so to get acclimated. Make sure you’re visiting the pet in the other room several times a day and make sure the other animals in the house can hear you having a fun, positive time with the new pet.

After the first day or so confine existing pets into a kennel or secluded room. This way the new pet can have some time roaming the house throughout the day, leaving their scent around for existing animals to smell.

Make sure there’s an adequate amount of toys for each pet to play with. Once you feel the new pet is ready to have free reign of the house, make sure you monitor all pets to ensure all animal’s safety. It is important to introduce new pets with care to ensure a safety for all. Pay attention once all pets are intermingled and look for red flag behaviors from pets to know when to intervene.

At Dolphin Carpet, we know how much your pets mean to you. We have many options when you are looking for pet-friendly floor options, so feel free to ask any questions you may have!

Pets are like members of our families. If your dog or cat is being destructive or having accidents in inappropriate places of the home; there could be a reason for the bad behavior and most likely you can correct it.

Puppies and kittens are of course supposed to be rambunctious. However if your furry friend is constantly misbehaving take a look into their daily lives and decide if they are getting enough play time. Dogs and cats should have play time each day. They need special attention at least once a day (minimum). Figure out what time works best for your schedule and start penciling play time in every day. Right before bedtime is a bad time to play, because it gets their adrenaline up and may take a couple hours to calm down after playing. Before dinner is a good time to take thirty minutes and get down on the floor for some special playtime together as a family.

Dogs and cats are typically destructive because they are bored. Make sure they have toys readily available. It is also a good idea to have two dogs or two cats. This way they can play with one another throughout the day. Dogs need to have tug ropes they can toss around and at least one ball that they can chase. Cats need scratching post. If your home lacks a scratching post, they will scratch other things like furniture or walls. Little balls with bells inside and fake mice are great kitty toys!

Dogs need to be a walked once a day. Two walks a day is even better; one in the morning and one in the evening. This allows them to get out of the house and explore the neighborhood. Dogs love to smell everything. This allows them to get their curiosity fix for the day. Daily walks also keeps their nails trimmed. Walking on the sidewalk automatically files their nails down. If your dog’s nails require trimming every couple a weeks, you may not be walking them enough. Start by taking your dog on daily walks and notice the difference in their mood and nails.

Playing and walking your pets once a day will make a big difference in their quality of life. Make sure you are doing your part to keep them happy and healthy!

Egg shells are perfect for gardening! There are many added benefits to using them in any garden. Find out how to add them to your garden for enriched soil as well as keeping critters away!

These hard shells provide an excellent source of calcium to soil, seedlings and plants. Before planting, add crushed up egg shells to the soil and rake it in. Having extra calcium in the soil is beneficial for brand new seedlings. It also benefits the plant after it starts to mature. After plants have been sown into the ground, continue to add cracked egg shells to the top of the soil. This will keep beetles and slugs out of your garden.

After cracking the egg shells and removing the actual egg, gently wash the shell out with warm water. Line a container with paper towels and lay the egg shells out, allowing ample room for air to circulate the entire egg; especially the interior. Place the shells in a dry place where they can have access to the sun. It takes about two days to dry the shells completely. The shells may seem dry after a day, however the membrane inside (that holds the shell together) needs longer to dry. If this membrane is not completely dry, it will cling to the shell and make it harder to break the shell up into small pieces.

After a couple days in the sun, either break shells up by hand or use a hand held kitchen gadget. A food processor or a coffee grinder works great. Careful not to break the shells up too finely. There should be little pieces about ¼ of an inch by a ¼ of an inch and some pieces that are smaller. These pieces are the part that keep pesky beetles and slugs away from your garden. These pieces of shells actually act like pieces of glass and cut up these pesky garden destroyers. This is a process that can be applied to the top of garden soil about every week or so. With that said save your shells and do not simply toss them in the trash!

Natural stone options that are available to you, is granite, marble, slate and limestone. This material is one of the oldest building materials and been around since ancient times. The aesthetic qualities are organic and beautiful. It is made under the earth’s surface over thousands and even millions of years.

Some things you need to consider when deciding to use natural stone is knowing that different patterns and variation will occur. What you order will not look exactly like the sample in the showroom. Typically each piece is unlike any other piece. This is important information to keep in mind when shopping for natural stone. This is not a negative though – think of each piece as being unique and different from any other piece. This is a positive attribute if you wish to have a unique look in your home that is not a material that will look just like the neighbor’s house. This material will add to the value of your home and it will create a timeless look.

Natural stone needs to be maintained regularly by sweeping and mopping because dirt and sand can be abrasive to the stone’s surface. Do not use harsh cleaning products on this material. It is best to use a broom to clean the dirt and sand from the surface and then clean with a mop and a little warm water. When moving furniture and other heavy items across stone flooring make sure the stone is protected by putting easy glide feet on the furniture that’s being moved. This natural material can be scratched and chipped under pressure.

Another wonderful location to decorate with natural stone – use the natural stone on the walls and around fireplace surrounds. This will give you the best of the beauty and timeless qualities of this amazing material!

Using a photo of an existing room is an excellent place to start if you are considering upgrading or renovating a space. Once you have decided a direction to go in, upload the photo of your room and try and achieve the certain design style you are aiming for. This tool makes the design process easier by giving you the opportunity to see what the actual room will look like. It also allows you to tweak many different aspects of the room.

Upload your photo and then we will take the necessary steps to make your photo interactive with our software. In about three business days we will send you a notification in your email, letting you know when your photo is available to use in the virtual design center. This is a free service that is provided by us, so why not take advantage of all the tools we offer right at your fingertips?

Start by selecting what you know you like. If you know you want a warm gray paint color, make this change in the virtual room designer first. From there you can play around with different floor materials and finishes. This is a great opportunity to view what carpet, tile or hardwood floor will look like in the actual space. Change existing cabinet styles and look at the different finishes available.

Make sure you save your room designs as you go along. This will ensure having the ability to go back and take note of certain materials, finishes and patterns that you approve of. You can print these photos out and hang them somewhere you can see them and think for a couple of days.

This tool is also helpful in showing you what your room can look like after upgrades are made. It will also give you an idea of other areas that may need work that you haven’t thought of. When planning a renovation or upgrades, this is the perfect place to start. Our software assists you in the process and helps you understand what materials and finishes to select!

Have you ever wondered which type of floor is the best for the life you lead? Should you choose carpet? Or would hardwood work better in your home? Are there situations where laminate would be better than natural stone? How can you decide?

We have you covered! On our website, we offer a powerful online tool that will help everyone with these choices. This tools shows how to match lifestyle needs with interior selections, finishes, requirements and much more. Once the quiz is completed you will see helpful suggestions to help you achieve a balanced home that fits right into your life style.

The quiz asks relevant questions regarding your lifestyle. It takes into account the daily activities and interests in your life. It also asks questions regarding to the people who live in the household and encompasses everyone’s needs. Asking the right questions about who lives in the home and what they do in turn offers suggestions about what types of materials will work best in the home. The suggestions cover floor type, lighting and added space needs.

The quiz determines your needs and helps you create a plan. Whether the plan is to turn a spare room into an office, arts and crafts area or a home gym, this tool gives you a starting point and a direction to go. The suggestions offer answers to existing questions and may cover aspects that you may not have thought about yet!

A home should be a reflection of the family or individual, as well as providing for the needs of the family and pets that live there. The information in this online tool goes beyond making finish selections for you. It gives options and explains each. A home should work with its inhabitants and make everyone comfortable, from extended family to guests and pets!

The quiz lets you know what materials to utilize, how to use them and even suggestions for your lifestyle.

Find out today what your home needs to help create the optimal interior environment! Try the Lifestyle Quiz today!

If your child is going through a picky eating stage, or are just picky all together find out a way to make a healthier spaghetti. This recipe hides one whole, vitamin rich vegetable. The Avocado sneaks into this dish, undetectable.

What You Will Need:

1 pound ground beef or turkey.

24 oz. Spaghetti sauce (any brand)

1 avocado

1 tbsp. Lawry’s Garlic Salt

1 tsp. Cracked Black Pepper

Spaghetti Noodles (we like Ritoni pasta)

Food processor

Directions:

Brown the meat in a large sauce pan. Once cooked, drain the fat out by using a strainer. Place meat back in the sauce pan. On medium to high heat, add the spaghetti sauce. Next add a tablespoon of garlic salt and the black pepper. Mix well and allow sauce to simmer. Once simmering turn down the heat to low and cover.

Add one avocado to the food processor and add one tablespoon of water. Blend until a thick guacamole type paste is formed. Add the avocado paste to sauce mix and turn the heat back up to medium high. Once the sauce is simmering, turn the heat down to low and cover once more.

At this time cook the pasta. Once the pasta is drained you can either serve the sauce on top of the pasta or mix the pasta with the sauce.

We all know the purpose of mud rooms, however we may not know exactly what is needed for this space. Find out some useful tips on what to keep in here and how to decorate it.

This is the perfect spot in the home to remove wet clothing and muddy shoes. Make sure to have plenty of hanging storage for coats. Simply hang decorative hooks up or install a decorative hanger that has plenty of hooks. If you hang the hooks yourself you will have more space to hang more things.

Keep an outdoor rug right at the door step. The rug needs to be durable and easily cleaned. This will help catch the dirt and mud from shoes and keep it from being tracked inside the house. Natural grass rugs that can be easily hosed down are a good choice for this area.

Place a decorative umbrella stand by the door. Make sure it is big enough to hold several umbrellas, especially if you live in a rainy climate.

There should be some sort of shoe storage. You can buy shoe benches that can hold several pairs of shoes. Typically these holders or racks have different levels, in order to house more shoes.

Storage is also a necessity here. Mud rooms can become a “catch all” space by design. Provide the room with storage bins or baskets. Go through these bins regularly so you can toss out items or relocate them to a more appropriate place. This is done so that clutter doesn’t build up. This area should be clutter free, since it is a high traffic area as well as an entrance. It should not have items encroaching into the traffic pattern or inhibit anyone from being able to exit the home safely in an emergency.

Keep in mind that whatever you decide to place in this area, it should all be easy to wipe down and durable. Mudrooms are often put to the test by being the first area of the home that is exposed to the outdoor elements that we track indoors.

Looking for a great way to stay healthy? Green smoothies are a great way to get extra nutrition into your day while enjoying a delicious treat! These are packed with vitamins and minerals, plus having a green smoothie in the morning gives you plenty of energy throughout the day. Making smoothie pops is an easy way to have the smoothie readily available each morning without having to prepare it every day. This recipe will make about 6 pops.

What you will need:

A Kiwi A blender or food processor Popsicle trays or an ice tray One large banana One cup of frozen or fresh blueberries A handful of baby spinach Half a cup of milk or coconut milk

Directions Spray the ice tray or popsicle tray with a light coating of nonstick olive oil spray. This is done so the pop will slide right out without sticking. The pops will easily slide right out of the tray without any force needed. Slice the kiwi into thin round pieces. Place a kiwi slice in the tray before adding the smoothie.

Add the banana, blueberries, spinach and milk to the blender. When the contents are well mixed you are ready to fill the tray. The contents are rather thick, therefore use a spoon to fill the trays. Place a stick in the middle and freeze overnight.

These pops are perfect to start your day off as well as having enjoyable snacks available. You should be able to notice an energy boost about 30 minutes after eating a pop. Feel free to add strawberries or pineapple for added flavor and extra vitamins.